Valio acquires Raisio’s Plant Protein business for US$7.5M

FINLAND – Valio has finalized a deal to acquire Raisio’s plant protein division, which includes the Härkis and Beanit fava bean brands, alongside associated assets.

The transaction, valued at US$7.5 million, covers production equipment located at Raisio’s Kauhava plant in Finland.

As part of the acquisition, 16 employees from Raisio’s plant protein business will join Valio.

This move strengthens Valio’s position within the plant-based protein sector, as the company continues to diversify beyond its core dairy business.

Valio’s executive vice president, Tuomas Salusjärvi, emphasized that the future of the food industry will see a combination of plant-based, animal-based, and cellular agriculture products to meet the needs of a growing global population.

Salusjärvi further explained that this acquisition aligns with Valio’s broader strategy to expand from a dairy-focused company into a more diversified food business.

In 2022, Valio also acquired Gold&Green, a plant-based protein business, and launched several products under that brand, marking another significant step in the company’s expansion in the plant-based sector.

Kimmo Luoma, senior vice president at Valio, added that this acquisition would further enhance the company’s ability to develop and produce plant-based protein products, a market that is expected to grow steadily in the long term.

Since acquiring Gold&Green, Valio has seen promising growth, with a 50% increase in sales in the last quarter of 2024 compared to the previous quarter.

The acquisition will allow Valio to expand its production capacity, with the Kauhava factory’s existing equipment meeting the company’s current production requirements.

Valio’s plant-based product portfolio already includes the Gold&Green brand, which offers a variety of ready-to-use plant protein products, as well as ingredients for the foodservice sector.

The company also produces MiFU, a protein product made from Finnish milk, which was launched in 2016.

Operations related to the Härkis and Beanit brands are expected to continue without disruption for the time being, with the deal set to be finalized in March 2025.

Once finalized, the assets and personnel from Raisio’s plant protein business will be fully transferred to Valio.

Sign up HERE to receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa and around the world, and follow us on our WhatsApp channel for updates.